Tube frame



' 5 tinuous Patentecl Oct. 4, 1932 Uturn srA'rEs BIXBY, OF BOSTON,

MAssAoHUsE'rtrs TUBE FRAME Application file October 4, 1930. Serial No. 486,361.

This invention relates to tube frames such as areused for weaving Axminster carpets and the like and is intended to provide a reliable and convenient means for securing the 5'; tuft-receiving and guiding tubes to the carrier bar, which forms, so to speak, the backbone of the tube frame.

In previous tube frame constructions, such as shown in United States Patents No. 1,519,-

m? 978 and No. 1,545,809, we have proposed securing the individual tuft tubes side by side in a slotted tube spacing and attachlng strip of pressed metal, in which such tube-attaching or tube-carrying strips were removably 15; fastened to the bar by screws and such constructions have gone into extensive commercial use. However, the constant and rough jarring to which the tube frames are subjected in Axminster looms, as they travel through a devious route wlth the carrier chains to which .they are suspended, results occasionally in jarring -loose some of the parts withthe result that a loose part may drop into the loom and cause serious damage C3 or inJury. i

ItV is vthe object of the present invention to provide a tube-attaching construction which, though subject to looseninglof the parts, prevents the anchoring screws from ft: dropping out of the tube frame into the loom.

A further feature of the invention consists in the construction and arrangement by which the tuft tubes are grouped on short individual sections of the carrier strip, while a conguard strip is provided projecting outward beyond the rear end edges of the tuft tubes and avoiding leaving any crack or joint between adjacent Sections of the carrier strip in which thread or yarn can catch fif" as it is drawn from the yarn spool into the appropriate tuft tubes or guides. These and other features of the invention will be described in the following specification and will be defined in the claims hereto annexed. i

In the accompanying drawing we have illustrated constructions embodying the principles of this invention, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the carrier bar with tuft tubes, attaching strip Sections and a guard member assembledin operative relation thereto. x

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing one section of an attaching vstrip with tuft tubes secured thereto, part of them being broken away to show the Vre'arwardly projecting fasteningi screws.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the tuft tubes and end attaching strip shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front View of the guard member for protecting the yarn tufts as they pass into the individual tuft tubes.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the guard member shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view showing the guard member, the tube attaching strip and the fastening means in proper assembledposition on the carrier bar.

Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views and end elevations, respectively, of a 'modified construction corresponding to Fig. 4 and Fig.V 5.

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of the modified construction corresponding to F ig. (i.V

o Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the modified form of attaching strip and guard IIonember in assembled relation to the carrier In the practice of our invention according to the form illustrated in the drawing, the carrier bar, which is of tubular or hollow construction, extends the full length of the tube frame of which it forms, in effect, the backbone and is secured at its opposite ends to` the Suspension hangers, 'which suspend the tube frame from the carrier chains'and which carry the yarn spool, all in well known manner as illustrated in Bixby Patent No. 1,545,809 above ment-ioned.

Preferably the parallel tuft tubes, which receive and guide the yarn tufts, are arranged in groups, each group being attached transversely to a longitudinal attaching strip 2, preferably of angular form, to the front face of which the individual tubes 3 are soldered or spot-welded. A number of such sections placed lend to Vend along the carrier i bar in proper position thereon constitute the entire series of tuft tubes for the tube frame, which may be of various lengths, according to the width of rug or carpet to be jwoven.

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. spaced some distance Each strip section 2, at two points at least, has punched out apertures surrounded by ofi'set annular or tubular fianges 5 which project from the rear face of the attaching strip, so as to register with oorresponding apertures formed in the front wall of the carrier bar. These offset annular fianges not only form a means for accurately and reliably positioningV the attaching stri on the carrier bar, but they also form arusto-conical seat for the reception of a tapered head screw 6, which is inserted through the aperture so as to project rearwardly perpendicular to the plane of the attaching strip, inwhi'ch position it is spot-welded or soldered securely to the strip so as to become to all intents and purposes an integral part thereof. p

Opposite the screw receiving aperture of the carrier bar 1 is formed an aligned aperture 7, in which is inserted the anchoring member which in this case comprises a tubular internally threaded screw V8 provided with an intermediate enlarged :shoulder 8a from'thehead of the screw and dimension'ed to slightly exceed the diameter of the aperture 7 through which the anchoring member or female screw is inserted. i

This diameter is only a few thousandths larger than the diameter of the ap'erture 7 so that the screw can be forced 'through the aperture under pressure, since the excess diameter is small enough to allow the metal to yield sufificiently to allow the shoulder to ass 'wh'le returning to normal sie after the shoulder has been forced through, thereby preve'nting the anchoring member l from dropping out of the carrier bar. The should'er 8a is located sufiiciently near the headof the screw 8 sothat its inner end stands Vin overlapped relation to the attaching sci'ew 6. ,While the attaching strps are madev in sectifohs 'or short lengths, 'each carrying individual group of tuft tubes, the guard strip 10 is preferably continuous or onepiece throughout the length of the attaching strip. This guard piece comprises a flat body portion 10 a'dapted to underlap the upper edge of the attaching strip itself formed at its upper portion with astruck-up rib or shoulder 10fl which projects far enough forwardly of the rear end edges of the individual tube frames to prevent the tuft yarn froml catching against these thin edges. i

Instead of making the tube-carrying and attaching strip and the guard member in 'separate pieces, as above described, these two members may be made in a single integral 'piecei As shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 the/attaching strip 11 is of angular form Vto embrace the lower corner of the carrier bar as inthle preferred form above described and, 'atits upper end is formed with :a projecting hollow rib 11a which acts as a guard to prevent the tuft yarn from catching against the thin rear edge of the back wall of the individual tuft tube. The intermediate portion of the carrier strip 11 is provided with a punched out aperture forming the rearwardly oflset annular fiange 11h for engaging the sc'rew-rereceiving aperture of the front wall and also to form a seat f-or the flared head of the screw 6, whichis soldered or spot-welded therein'in the manner 4and for the purpose above described. w

As the tuft tube units in the sectional construction are attached to strips only two or three iches long, it is a very simple matter, whenlany of. the tubes are injured, to unscr'ew the anchorin'gscr'ews at the back of the carrierI bar, remove the strip containinfg the' 'and 'quickly replace it injured tuft tubves', with another similar unit, which is similarly anchored in place. This may be 'done 'with'- out even taking the tuft tube out of the 100m anddoes not require the service ofa skilled mechanic; i

Moreover, it is impossible fr'th'e anchforing member to drop outinto the loomland cause damage, even should it become loosened by the Constant jarriiig. :Once inserted, the a'nchoring members a're always in place for use f'or anchoring the fastening screws that project from 'and are integrally united with each tuftl tube unit. The annular lip or fiange surroundy'ngeach fastenin'g screw a'nd mgi'stering withV 'the adjac'ent "'apertu're in the carrier bfrvsecres 'eact 4ligmnent and prevents displacfement under the tension of the'anch'oring screw or member.

- 1. ln a, tube 'frarnethe 'combination'with a'h'oll'ow' carrier bar provided lwithv aligned apert-ures in, its front and rear walls,"a tube carrying' stripto whichare securely united in paralleli'sm'a plurality 'of .tuft tubes,"sai'd strip being' provided with a' rearwardly projectingnoh-rotatable screw integrally united with the strip arra'ng'ed to pass through the aper't-ure in the front wall, and means' proje'cting throughthe apjerture in' the rear wall of lthe bar having threaded anchoring Lefgagementwith saidscrew to an'chor the tube carrying strip in place. i

:2. In a tube frame a hollow carri'e'r Vbar provided withaligned apertures in its front and rear walls,'a tube carryin'g strip to which are securely united in parallelism a plurality of tufttub'es, said strip being provided'with a rearwardly projecting, nfon-rjot'atable screw integrallyunited with the strip arrang'ed to pass through the aperture in the front wall, anchoringmeans projecting ythrough the` aperture in the rear wall of the bar tohave threaded engagenfent with said screw, means' for preventing aid, nhormg fw faningofi :of *ifsfcont'aining .a'perturel whenloosene'd 'from` 'said xSCGW'.

the combination with 8. In a tube frame the combination with a tubular carrier bar of a tuft tube carrying strip to which a series of transverse tuft tubes are secured in parallelism, a portion of the strip beneath the superimposed tuft tubes being formed With a countersunk annular fiange adapted to register With a corresponding aperture in the adj acent Wall of the carrier bar, a non-rotatable fastening screw Whose head is seated in the countersunk flange and integrally united therewith, and anchoring means projecting through the rear Wall of said carrier bar to form threaded anchoring engagement With said astening screw.

4. In a tube frame the combination with a tubular carrier bar, a tuft tube carrier strip to which a series of transverse tuft tubes are secured in parallelism, portions of the strip beneath the attached tuft tubes formed With countersunk annular flanges adapted to register with corresponding apertures in the adjacent Wall of the carrier bar, non-rotatable fastening screws Whose heads are seated in and integrally united with the respective countersunk flanges, and tubular internally threaded anchoring members inserted through apertures in the rear Wall of the carrier to engage and firmiy anchor the astening screws in the carrier bar.

5. In a tube frame construction, the combination with a carrier bar, a longitudinal tube carrying strip to which are permanently secured a plurality of transverse tuft tubes, means for securing said carrier strip detachably to the carrier bar comprising a threaded member rigidly secured to said strip and projecting rearwardly therefrom to extend into the interior of the carrier bar, a coacting threaded member inserted through an aperture in the rear of the carrier bar and provided with a shoulder intermediate of its ends of larger diameter than the diameter of the aperture through which it is inserted.

6. In a tube frame construction, the combination With a hollow carrier bar having aligned perforations in its front and rear walls, a tube carrying strip provided With an integrally united rearwardly projecting attaching member arranged to be passed through the aperture of the front Wall, a rotatable anchoring member adapted to be inserted through the aperture in the rear Wall to have threaded anchoring engagement With said screW, said anchoring member being provided With a shoulder slightly larger than the diameter of the aperture in the rear Wall to permit its being forced through said aperture While preventing its falling out through said aperture, the screw and the anchoring member being dimensioned in length to retain threaded engagement with said shoulder engages the edge of the aperture in the rear Wah.

7. A replaceable tuft tube unit for a tube apertures Whose edges are offset to form annular flanges, non-rotatable attaching screws seated in and integrally united With said I flanges, said attaching screws being spaced longitudinally to penetrate corresponding apertures in the carrier bar of a tube frame.

8. In a tube frame the combination with a hollovv carrier bar, of a longitudinal tube carrying and attaching strip having screwreceiving apertures ,Whose edges are upset to form rearwardly extending annular guide and positioning fianges, non-rotatable fastening screws integrally united With said flanges to project into the carrier bar and engage anchoring members carried thereby, said tube carrying strip being provided with a forwardly projecting yarn guarding member arranged to overhang the intake ends of the tubes.

9. In a tube frame the combination with a carrier bar, a series of end to end tube carrying and attaching strips separately and detachably secured to said bar, a continuous guard strip arranged to underli'e a plurality of the tube carrying strips and provided With a forwardly projecting rib arranged to overhang the intake ends of the tubes carried by said strips and guide the yarn tufts into the individual tubes.

In witness Whereof, We have subscribed the above specification.

EDGAR F. HATHAWAY. WALTER BIXBY. 

